Verse 11 11.Likewise the wives He means the wives both of deacons and of bishops, for they must be aids to their husbands in their office; which cannot be, unless their behavior excel that of others. read more
I. QUALIFICATIONS OF A BISHOP . Preliminary direction to Timothy . "Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." The Scripture idea of the episcopate is that of oversight , viz. of souls. A bishop was one who had the duty of overseeing a congregation in spiritual matters, being, in respect of gravity and dignity, called presbyter or elder. Timothy was to encourage any who sought to enter into the episcopate. The saying in Christian... read more
It was one of the weightiest duties laid upon Timothy, when called to be the spiritual ruler of the Church of Ephesus, to take care that the priests and deacons were men well qualified for their holy office. The condition of a congregation depends so largely upon the spiritual character of those who minister to it, that the choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry of God's Church is a matter of vital importance to the welfare of the people, and demands the utmost wisdom and... read more
Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. ΄υστήριον , a mystery, is that which, having been long hidden, is at length disclosed, either to men generally or to elect disciples. It is derived from μυέω , to initiate, of which the passive μυέομαι , to be instructed or initiated, is found in Philippians 4:12 , and is common in classical Greek, being itself derived from μύω , "to close the lips as in pronouncing the syllable μῦ ," whence also taurus . The... read more
Serve as deacons for use the office of a deacon , A.V.; if they be for being found , A.V. And let these also , etc. There is an ambiguity in the English here. It is not" these also"—these in addition to others, i.e. the bishops before named—but "these be also first proved." Their general character, as described in 1 Timothy 3:8 , 1 Timothy 3:9 , must not be taken upon loose hearsay, but must be put to the test by examination, by special testimony, by inquiry, and then, if... read more
Women in like maturer must for even so must their wives , A.V. ; temperate for sober , A.V. Women . What is meant by these "women"? Certainly not women in general, which would be quite out of harmony with the context. The choice lies between This last, on the whole, is the most probable. The male deacons had just been spoken of, and so the apostle goes on to speak of the female deacons (at διάκονοι , Romans 16:1 ). He conceives of the deacon's office as consisting of two... read more
Holding the mystery of the faith - On the word “mystery,” see notes on 1 Corinthians 2:7. It means that which had been concealed, or hidden, but which was now revealed. The word “faith” here, is synonymous with “the gospel;” and the sense is, that he should hold firmly the great doctrines of the Christian religion which had been so long concealed from people, but which were now revealed. The reason is obvious. Though not a preacher, yet his influence and example would be great, and a man who... read more
And let these also first be proved - That is, tried or tested in regard to the things which were the proper qualifications for the office. This does not mean that they were to be employed as “preachers,” but that they were to undergo a proper trial in regard to their fitness for the office which they were to fill. They were not to be put into it without any opportunity of knowing what they were. It should be ascertained that they were grave, serious, temperate, trustworthy men; men who were... read more
Even so must their wives be grave - Chrysostom, Theophylact, Grotius, Bloomfield, and many others, suppose that by the word “wives,” here, (γυνᾶικας gunaikas), the apostle means “deaconesses.” Clarke supposes that it refers to women in general. The reason assigned for supposing that it does not refer to the wives of deacons, as such, is, that nothing is said of the qualifications of the wives of bishops - a matter of as much importance as that of the character of the wife of a deacon; and that... read more
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John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 3:10
Verse 10 10And let those be first tried He wishes that they who are chosen should not be unknown, but that their integrity should be ascertained, like that of the bishops. And hence it is evident, that they are called blameless who are not stained by any marked vice. Besides, this trial is not for a single hour, but consists in long experience. In a word, when deacons are to be ordained, the choice must not fall at random, and without selection, on any that come to hand, but those men are to be... read more